davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
St. Landry democrat., 1887-09-03

steps and eat from the same bundle Of
bread and meat
The little children are perhaps the
most interesting. 1t is tiresome thing
to sit all day long on the stone steps,
and hence you will find them more fire.
quently running about the piazza and
the neighboring streets than on the
Scala. At times they are a great NUS
ance, and bother the life out of one by
begging for soldi, or inducing you to
buy flowers. They carry one or two
roses in their hands and offer them for
sale, thus thinking to evade the police
mans eye, should that official see that
they are so persistent in begging; but the
police are very lenient in this regard,
and often one in self-defense has to
knock the children away with cane or
umbrella
The Italians live so much in the open
air that they are lazy in regard to that
necessity Americans delight in-that is,
shopping. An American lady would
rather spend a day amid the shops at
home than eat a dinner; but here they
seem to like to have things brought to
them, and the streets are full of vendors
of all sorts. The people generally live
as high in house as they can get. The
top stories are much preferred on account
of light and dryness. The persons on the
fifth and sixth stories, therefore, have
great deal of trouble in getting things
upstairs. But they usually market from
a balcony, talking to the vender in the
street below and letting down by string
a large basket, and in this the purchases
are placed and hauled up to be inspected
and put away In Naples especially you
see the street vendors, and in the old
parts of Rome as we'll. The fruit man
generally comes early in the morning.
He carries his peculiar baskets and his
brass scales.
The Italians are not very particular
about their fruit, and prefer it over-ripe,
and one has to be very careful how he
eats it here The fisherboy, with his
fiat basket, is perhaps one OF the most
picturesque sights.
Now and then you come across old
women with large stock of handker-
chiefs, who take the greatest delight in
spreading them all out and inducing you
to buy. 1t is a rather hard and difficult
lob to make bargain with the occupant
of the sixth story of a house, because it
is fatiguing to converse at such dis
lance, and again it takes so long to let
down and pull up the basket
If you want your shoes mended the
man will come around and patch or half
sole them for you while you wait.
If you wander about the side streets
of Rome you will, no doubt, come across
crowd of boys and men working on
IN. all blocks of stone of different colors.
I, is mosaic shop, and the various
workmen are making one of those beau
'ful pieces WHICH delight tourists SO
r.uch. Like everything here, great deal
the work is done out Of doors. The
St. Landry democrat., 1887-09-03
MARIE ANTOINETTE'S DRESSES.
The Story of Her Milliner's Bills-Girth of
the Queens Waist.

The journal of Mdme. Elotte, milIiner to
the court of Louis XVI, has recently been
given to the world by the Comte de ReSet
One of the Illustrations Of the book is a cor
sage or bodice of pale green silk, which was
furnished by Marie AntOnette to serve as
pattern for gowns that her majesty might
order. From an examination of this corSage
one expert Partisan drc>smaker declares the
Queens waist girth was twenty-five and a
half inches, while still another expert pro-
nounces the girth to have been tWenty-une
inches. From other sources NJ. de Rcisct in
clines to the opinion that the Queen was not
very tall but that. until emJonpojM overlook
her, her figure was eXquisitcly beautiful; that
her hands, her arms, and her feet We're mod
els of symmetry: that her eyes We're h!ur
full of charm and expression; and finally
that her turt.i, cad vas high.
While the monarchy vas crlimhlin,,, I'll"
St. Landry democrat., 1887-09-03
A Too Pointed Joke.

A witty clown, by name Durow, has been
compelled to leave St. Petersburg for carry
ing Jokes too far. He was giving perform
ance with pig trained to various teats. At
the mans command the animal took uptrom
the ground number of Russian coins, includ-
ing imperals and small silver and copper
coins. When. however, some rouble notes
were thrown down, the pig refused to pick
them up, even though whipped. Great anluse-
ment was caused by this discriminating act,
and it was intensified as a voice cried from
the gallery to the clown: You blockhead,
if the finance minister could not raise the
paper roublein four months, how can you
expect pig to do it?' Though tavorlte
with St. Petersburg audiences, the clown re-
ceived orders to leave the city the following
St. Landry democrat., 1887-09-03
HOME DECOR ATOMS.
HOW HOUSES CAN BE MADE TASTY
AND COMFORTABLE.
Some of the Effects of the Visit of Oscar
Wilde to this Countrywide Newest Fads
in the shape of Wallpaper Fashionable
Fancies and How They Are Used.

When Oscar Wilde visited this coun-
try a few years ago people laughed at
him and his eccentricities. Wits and
musicians combined TO satirize his pecu-
liar mannerisms and doctrines. Speak
ing pia1itudcs in staincd-gl attitudes,
"limp lily perambuIations Of the actors,
and confessions Of being aesthetic shams
in one of the popular comic operas
emphasized the mirth Of the general
public at this individual who sought
to teach some new ideas in regard to
decorating the homes that. while they
furnished shelterto their inmates, were as
void Of taste as a dreary desert. But as
t@cy laughed they began to accept his
St. Landry democrat., 1887-09-03
ANOTHER OLD WAR HORSE.
General SigeFs Wounded Charger Still
Living and q Pet.

Living and q Pet.
After the battle of Wilson'S creek, August
10, 1861, General Sigel conducted the retreat
of the defeated Union troops, says Hanni-
bal ONO. } correspondent In retiring from
the field the generals horse was wounded
by stray mimic ball. The hurt was not
discovered, however, until the noble animal
fell from exhaustion consequent upon the
loss of blood. Mounting another horse, Gen
eral Sigel left the wounded charger to die. A
sutler. CHANGING to pass that way, made an
examination and found that, though severe,
the wound was only flesh one. and that
the horse, with little attention, would re-
cover. In week or two the horse was able
to be reported for duty, but the shrewd suit
Ter concluded to ship him to st. Louis, be-
Iieying private buyers would pay more for
the horse than the quartermaster. He was
sold to R. w. Peay, iveryman. He trained
the horse to harness and made hne road
s sta of him. In 1868 Mr.. Peay sold him to
his brother, J. j. Peay, of Bowling Green,
Mo-. who owns him now. The Old war
horse, though over thirty years old, IS still
active. His owner recently said: Il have
not had bride on Sigel for three years. |
Keen him in the pasture in summer and
Grind Ills food for him in the winter. zen,
esal Sigel is full fifteen hands high, olood
bay in color and has a long, silky name and
tail. He is the pet Of the entire nelgnoor'
d-Erchdnge.
St. Landry democrat., 1887-09-03
AUDACIOUS DISRAELI.
The Obvious Plagiarism of England's
Literary Premier.

If the Morning Chfonicle had its humiia-
tons il had its trlumphs as we'll In lSo2 It's
columns contained couple of cOmmunlca-
tons which excited an extraordinary sensa-
ton. In the year 1852 the great Duke OF
Wellington died and Mr.. Dsraei, being
leader of the Conservative party. which was
then in power, had to announce his death to
the House of Commons, and TO follow the
announcement with the usual Grafton. a
very eloquent Grafton it was, and 1t was fully
reported and duly admired: but. untortu-
natev it found one reader with very
tenacious memory, who was sure that not
only the substance, but the very phraSeOlogy,
was familiar To him. and who. after short
search discovered that the great speech had
been delivered by NJ. Theirs over the grave
of certain Marshal Mortier, whose death
had preceded that of the Duke OF Nelllng-
ton by eighteen years.
This discovery was communicated to the
editor of the Chronicle, who. glad Of such an
opportunity of den0uncing the sin of literary
theft and damaging the Tory party at the
same time printed in double columns the
French speech and the English speech, which
was neither more nor less than q translation
of it. Great was the delight of the Liberals,
great the CONSERVATION of the Conservatives
and both delight and CONSERVATION were in
tensitied when, three days later the editor,
doubtless reinspired by his correspondent
with the tenacious memory, treated in similar
1dSIlOn MI. DlSrdell 5 description OF the Cnar-
acter of Lord Cadurcis in bis novel, ~ enc
tia" and Macaulav description of the char
acter of Lord Byron, which had not then been
reprinted from the Edinburgh Reuitw where
it had appeared twenty years previously. In
the second case there was not even a change
OF language; the two passages, with the
necessary alteration of the proper names,
were word for word identical; and people
thought not unnaturally, that Mr. Dsraei's
literary reputation had received fatal blow.
The accused committed his defense to
friend, and a curious defense it was Mr..
Disraeli, the world was informed, kept a
commonplace book in which he had tran
scribed the passages from Theirs and Macall-
lay and, coming across them again at time
when he had entirely forgotten the act OF
transcription, he used them, imagining them
both to be his own.
On this curious story DR.. Mackay makes
two remarks. The first is the very obvious
one that this was "a very lame explana-
ton: - the second is the reverse OF obvious,
being that Disraeli's otfense, IF ,otfense 1t
were. was condoned, and none but sour
minded professional critics and habltual OPP
ponents of his policy thought any worse of
him" If this were sO-Which we do not tor
a moment believe-it is clear that Mr.. Dis
raeli' sour-minded critics and habitual oppO-
nents were the only people who were just
then possessed Of conscience.
St. Landry democrat., 1887-09-03
Habits of the Snake.

The snake sheds its skin by rubbing against
a sapling or other hard surface until the
delicate skin about the mouth is parted and
turned back few inches, when the snake
seeks narrow place to fit the body, and thus
held the skin stays, while the reptile craWls
"out of its hide The cuticle is turned
inside out" when found Snakes are be-
lieved to be blind Just before shedding; at
least the eyes are as thoroughly covered by
the old skin as any other part of the body
St. Landry democrat., 1887-09-03
QUIPS.

Sir-face indications-Beard and mustache.
Most girls would rather have chap o
their own than chaperon.
When burglars break into shoe store their
object, of course, is booty.
There have been discussions as to the
IDENTIFY of the Oldest Mason, the youngest
soldier of the late war, and other celebrities,
but there can be no doubt about Noah's be-
ing the first arkitect.
St. Landry democrat., 1887-09-03
No GROUND For COMPLAINT.

II don't see there is any ground for com
plant about the inefficiency of the mails"
observed Snippit
/ MOI" replied Srooper.
ION the contrary, I think they are very
prompt. I sent an article to magazine,
and the promptness with which it came
back proved that all charges against the
service are groundless.'
St. Landry democrat., 1887-09-03
IN LIGHTER VEIN.
WHERE HE HAD GONE.

WHERE HE HAD GVNE
What in the world made Mr.. Briggs go
to Jerusalem ?" asked Mrs. Fangle.
Il didn't know he had gone" replied
Fangle.
Why, I heard you tell man he had
gone to the Holy Land"
Yes, I said he had gone to the hoIey
land, but I meant the oil regions. 1t is
holey, because so many holes have been
drilled there for oil"
St. Landry democrat., 1887-09-03

She enters through the eye-lids,
The portals of the mind;
And all her gay, fantastic pain
Come trooping on behind.
In weirdest wool her tilmy train
Into gauze is wrought;
To clothe the sirens Of the mind
In gossamers of thought.
Then through the light transparent sheen
Of such bewitching dress:
In supple grace fair forms are seen
In sweet suggestiveness.
With steps Of light that CLEAN and fade
They dance IN figures round,
And twinkle to the drowsy sight
All shaded into sound.
They kneel before her majesty,
She waves her sceptre soft;
And 10. that weird, elusive train
Fly in the air aloft.
A cry disturbs the giddy rout,
The mornings chanticleer;
The eye-lids ope, they sally out,
And day once more is here.
St. Landry democrat., 1887-09-03
Sympathy Without Tact.

Sympathy unaccompanied by tact is al
most valueless. 1t may stil be golden but
a man knocked down by mass of the pre-
cious metal is quite as likely to be injured as
if the missile had been lead or IRON Youths
COnlDdn,On.
St. Landry democrat., 1887-09-03
JOURNALISTIC.

Editor-(to new reporter)-I see in this
item you say that Colonel Jones is building
A new house on Wabash street.
Reporter-Yes sir.
Editor-I must tell you that in this city no
one ever builds a house. He erects pala-
tial residence Please bear it in mind.
St. Landry democrat., 1887-09-03
HEARD IN THE CHOIR.

BeeAat-Can you lend me ten or eleven
dollars for day or two, Seesharp?
:; Seesharp-You must be altogether off
your bass if you think I have that much
money about me.
St. Landry democrat., 1887-09-03
LIKE DR.. M'GLYNN.

Tramp-Can you give me bite of some
thing to eat, ma'am
Servant-No, sir; get out of here.
Tramp-Your order makes me resemble
DR.. McGlynn in a remarkable degree,
maam.
Servant-Why so?
Tramp-We'veb both been ordered to roam.
St. Landry democrat., 1887-09-03

cutting, glazing and piecing go on
under the hot sun as comfortably as in
doors. The picture shows a group at
work. john S. SHRIvER.
St. Landry democrat., 1887-09-03
ARTISTS MODELS.
ABOUT THE FAMOUS
STAIRwAYS OF ROME.
Some of the characteristics of These Fam
tastically-dressed Italians-Old Men,
Women and Children Who Live in This
Way-An Open-air Mosaic Shop.


ROME, August 15.-I have often Won
dered As | climbed the Scala di Spagna, the
great stairway leading from the beautiful
Piazza di Spagna to the Pincio Gardens,
il all the artists were out Of the city or
whether they had given up painting
at almost any hour, one can see the same
men, women and children lounging on
these steps, all waiting 10 be hired. This
stairway is the rendezvous for the artists
models, and here tncv can be found in
Great numbers at all hoGrS Of the day. |
have gone up and down the stairway,
often three or four times a day, during
the last two weeks. and have always seen
the same models there. They all wear
the most fantastic Of the Roman cos
TUNES, but, alas, the wear and tear OF
sitting so long on the cold steps an. the
exposure to all kinds of weather have
rather dimmed the brillian", of The tOlors
of the material, to say nothing Of the
holes made in the clothiH4: yet each
day they come, for the seem - have
no other home. Ii you 60 up the steps
about noon you may see them a their
midday meal. The mamma N" .tl, The
one who desires to sit Tor NaIonna-
will undoubtedly be nursing at her
breast the baby which she carrie, IN her
arms to be pictured as the Infant Christ
or St. John. The old man
and it seems to be the same one
whose face haunted Dickens
through his Italian trips some
twenty or more years 3-0-the n
old man seems TO have .0>t none Cy~NA
OF his st. Jerome look. bat he a.,
appears to ind more difficulty nc
in eating his piece Of hard bread ~,
and meat than the younger -
models beside him. These
models seem TO- he one great
family and live On one or two
St. Landry democrat., 1887-09-03
ONE THING HE WOULD NOT TAKE.

THAT man." observed Tripper, referring
to an individual who had just crossed the
street, will take anything he possibly can"
"You are mistaken" replied McCorkle;
there is one thing Re will not take
"What is that?'
mo one ever knew him to take bath"
St. Landry democrat., 1887-09-03

ideas; innate tastes cropped
out, and bare, white walls
that thrust themselves so
persistentlr into notice,
cold. unintcresting and emf
nently un>ympathetic, were
covered with d dress that
reduced in appearance their
lofty sides and gave a cosy,
homelike feeling to the
apartment, or, where the.
hangings were in shocking
bad taste, they were removed
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-12-29
She Needed Just Such a Brother.

A New York CORRESPONDENT says:-I
was eating dinner the other evening in
n well-known restaurant up town. At
a neighboring table a young lady that I
know slightly was sitting with her
brother, q college fellow, about twenty
years of age, and big, splendid, rigid
minded fellow. He was treating his
lovely sister with the same eloquent po-
likeness he would have employed with a
sweetheart, though he did not watch
her SO closely rs he might have, had
such been the case. [ caught o side
view of each of them from where they
sat, and was very much surprised to
observe that the girl was flirting with q
man who sat at table back of the
brother. | was shocked, and began to
wonder if no New York girl was above
such cheap immortality. What made it
worse was the fact that recognized the
man who was presuming SO much as q
notorious gambler. I felt that | had no
right to say a word, and of course I did
not, though [ was very angry at the
false innocence that decent girls affect
sometimes. When the gambler had fin
ished his dinner he went to the desk and
wrote something on slip of paper.
Then he called the waiter who was serv-
ing the two young couple, and handed
the paper to him with some verbal di-
rcctions and large fee. He then left
the restaurant Immediately I heard
the young fellow ask his sister to excuse
him a moment, and then left the room.
I had table by the window, and [
looked out. The gambler was standing
on the sidewalk, looking in. Presently
he was confronted by the sisters broth
er There was just one word said by
each of them, and then the gambler was
struck two blows in the face that could
be heard in the restaurant. He stag
gered back, and then, gathering himself
together, he made a rush. Once more
he was struck resembling blow, and
this time he fell backward and stayed
where he fell.
The lad then came back to the room.
His face was flushed, but he took his
chair and said some light thing to his
sister, who had heard nothing. He
spoke to the waiter in an undertone,
and the gamblers message to the girl
was handed him. He put this in his
pocket, and the little episode was over.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-12-29
Child and Snake.

A Palatka, Fla, letter to the ST Louis
Democrat, says: George Boxer lives
on the Heights, n suburb of this place,
orange trees. Yesterday morning one
of the children was heard to scream
loudly i'll the grove, and big house
dog, hearing the noise, flew to the
childs relief. The mother heard the
childs cries but at first supposed the
little one was playing; but as the child
did not return soon, she became alarm
ed and ran out among the trees. Com
ing upon her little one. about 200 yards
from the house, she almost tainted at
the sight before her. On slight hill
lock lay her child, while coiled on its
breast, with head erect and tongue out,
was q huge RATHER. It's ominous rattle
sounded loud and warning, while its
eyes shot forth sparks of fire as it slow
ly turned its head around in a circle
keeping watch of the dog, who trotted
| slowly around the snake, keeping his
eye on the reptiles basilisk eyes of fire
a low growing and the upturning of
his hair showing his fear and anger.
The snake seemed to have fairly fasci-
mated the dog. The canine walked
around and around the reptile slowly
coming nearer, but all the while growl-
ing as if he knew what danger was
near.
Brave Mrs. Boxer, seeing the life of
her child at stake, picked up pine knot
| and hurled it at the RATHER, with rare
good luck striking it on the head and
knocking it away several feet. Rushing
| forward she picked mp the child and ran
to the house. Her husband came up at
tlrat moment and soon dispatched the
reptile, which measured eight feet long
! and was as large around as an average
mans arm at the shoulder, and sported
sixteen rattles and button. The dog
parked loudly when the serpent was
| knocked over, but dill not offer to bite
| it, though generally furious at the sight
of one. For over an hour the dog CON
tinued its walk around the knoll till it
fell from exhaustion and was taken to
the house and given spirits. The dog
was not struck, but seemed charmed
and has not yet recovered. The child
was not bitten either, but has been sick
from fright and nervous prostitution. 1t
was the largest RATHER ever killed in this
section and has been stuffed
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-12-29

Only one pearl OF any kind is found i'll
a hundred Shells, and usually one in a
thousand Of any value, so that it is not a
very profitable pursuit. The indiscrim-
mate killing of Of the muscles i'll fishing
and by poisonous sewage will eventually
lead to thcir extern nation. The greatest
dcstroycrs. however. arc the hogs, which
Kill off whole banks in a single low tide.
Pearls are also sccretcd by he common
hardshcll clam, these are usually white,
tinged with purp.e, or almost black.
The latter colors arc preferred, although
they have little value. They sell st
from 81 to 800 each, AID a:e found as
large as haZlcnut. The CO mmon conch,
fshcd extensively on tn: Flor. da coast for
bait, often contains the So called pinl:
p~'rls. Although lhey arc nc: true
icarls, they have sold ut -, geo each.
Our oyster pearls have neither value nor
beauty. -H0psr'S Magazine.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-12-29
The Half-Priced Boy.

That fall Mr.. Wilkins sold his house
and tried boarding for the winter. And
it would have been very funny, if it had
not been very sad, to hear Mrs. Wilkins
bargaining for room and board for two,
with little child thrown in.
He was ve"y small eater, she said,
and could easily be fed from her plate,
and he would wait and not require an
extra seat at table, and sleep on a sofa
in her room, so would be no trouble to
any one.
So he was included, like a cat or a
parrot, with their belongings, and he
said not q word, though he held his
mothers hand, and read her face with
his great blue eyes, while she haggled
about him. And she told his father that
Harley had outgrown his foolish baby
fashion of asking questions.
But he thought Oh, deep in his
mind he thought over the complex
mysteries of life.
One night he lay awake on the sofa
bel and could not sleep. His head was
hot and felt twice its natural size. Soon
he began to talk. His mother and his
father heard him and said:
"He is dreaming"
But it was they who were dreaming.
The child was waking waking in the
morning that has never noon or q
night.
His mother heard his last few words
with an agony of remorse that came too
late.
"Please, dear God, let me in. [
haven't any ticket nor money, an I'm
eight years old and half-price Nobody
wants me. There isn'taHy place for a
little boy without money. If you'll Just
take me up there | wont be in anybody S
way and I'm-so-tired- So
tired"
His head dropped. The flush on his
cheek faded-the tired little heart was
at rest forever.